syd the traveler

An LFO case study? Yes.

sydie — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 00:52:17 +0000

I realised at the gym today just how much I have learned from my course as I began to analyse the phonological features of LFO’s non-rhotic New England dialect through an examination of the minimal pairs found in Summer Girls’ infamous non sequitur lyrics.

[breath]

I’m definitely losing my social skills, gaining nerd power, and getting my money’s worth out of this course.

photo: dannybrown.me

bella vista

sydie — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 18:16:26 +0000

The view from my window is exceptionally beautiful this evening.

beginning of spring

Then again, it’s been beautiful all year.

September

first snow

in a blizzard

note the ski tracks

rainbowwws

creeping clouds

last snow storm (four months of snow!)

And with summer on its way, I’m sure I’ll capture many more beautiful images out my window.

viral babies

sydie — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 17:39:21 +0000

What happens after I finish one paper and procrastinate before the next?

Viral babies.

And I don’t mean the sickly kind.

Love how viral has shifted semantically to incorporate the latest interwebs developments.

Linguistic tangent. Sorry.

For whatever reason, babies have garnered the attention of the interwebs – and with good reason…They’re awesome.

Here are a few of my personal faves:

Oh, Charlie. You and your finger bites.

Just a little kinky…just a bit.

Way to ruin the secret for the rest of us.

Guess the cat’s out of the bag with this one, Mom.

Hey I think your kid’s trying to tell you something…

Like maybe your baby’s face is bleeding. I don’t know. He wasn’t all that clear.

It’s okay, Emerson – it’s just Mommy’s face imploding.

That’s right. Laugh.

Wouldn’t want to enter a bar with this sloppy date.

Honey, you might have a problem.

Speaking of getting her drink on, here’s the ultimate.

Such an attitude problem, Pearl. I love it.

I WANT MY MONEYYYY!!!

Ah, there’s something just so satisfying in watching these poopy, bug-eyed critters try to navigate the world.

Now back to work.

Sloth-tastic

sydie — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 08:24:41 +0000

There are no finals panics. Just sloths. Sssshhhhhh…just watch.

UCLA Racism

sydie — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 18:43:25 +0000

So there has been a recent bout of racism publicly displayed via the interwebs by a bubbly yet seemingly dim peroxide-bleached, fake-baked pair of tits:

My initial response:

1. Who let you into UCLA?
2. Put some clothes on and fix your hair…and maybe your face (people can see you)
3. They let you study politics?!?!?!?
4. You’ll make an excellent Housewife once you fail out of college.
5. You are the reason America gets a terrible reputation.

My brother’s initial response:

Whoaha… Idk what I should be more in awe of, her boobs almost shooting out at your face or the fact she is at UCLA…

A fellow UCLA student’s response:

Cheers to America. Ally, are you sure you want to live there? Speaking of Ally, if you haven’t picked up your copy of The Student today, march on over to the Library or Teviot or wherever else they give it away – and check out the Feature article on pg 11!

how many months has it been?

sydie — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 16:05:39 +0000

I have not kept my blog up to date lately, so let’s play a little game of catch up:

Arriving on campus.

Surviving the blustering wind.

: Visiting Linlithgow.

: Storming castles.

: Maintaining a healthy caffeine addiction.

: Bridging cultures.

: Meeting Scottish actors.

: Visiting the Highlands: Dunkeld.

: Hiding in castles: Stirling.

: Enjoying the best fush & chups Scotland has to offer: Anstruther.

: Avoiding zombie crawls on the Royal Mile.

: Chilling with Rabbie Burns: Glasgow.

: Playing with old friends.

: Mustache-ing Movember.

: Supporting Scottish rugby.

: Freezing for Scotland.

: Giving thanks with coursemates.

: Welcoming the snow.

: Introducing flatmates to S’mores.

: Loving the German Market & Edinburgh in winter.

And that has been last semester. More pretty pictures will pop up here and there.

To sum it all up, life has been good.

HiGH FiVE FRiDAY!!!

sydie — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 22:35:26 +0000

Happy Hannukah, y’all!

In this most festive mood, here is a photo update of 5 awesome things that have happened recently:

Rugby!!! My favourite sport to watch. Even in icy rain.

Twas my burfday. My folks love me lots.

Christmas in Edinburgh. The German Market has arrived.

Thanksgiving with my coursemates! Quite the partay.

Poor obnoxious Americans.

sydie — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 23:27:55 +0000

What a shame.

Arthur's Seat Romance

sydie — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 21:45:01 +0000

pwned.

HiGH FiVE FRiDAY!!!

sydie — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 11:57:22 +0000

Harper's Magazine

5. Guy Fawkes’ Night. I really don’t understand this holliday. So this guy attempted to blow up Parliament (Gun Powder Plot) in Londonon 5 November 1605(Remember remember the fifth of November, the gunpowder treason and plot…), and his epic plot was foiled only hours before it was supposed to have taken place. And the kingdom celebrates this foiled terrorism plot by setting off fireworks and burning effigies? Some things about thiskingdom I will never understand. Though the joke is that England celebrates the foiling of the plot, and Scotland celebrates the attempt. No, all in good fun. Yay for late but successful counterterrorism?

4. So then after a stormy Guy Fawkes’ Night spent with Steph on Arthur’s Seat watching the sub-par Meadowbanks’ fireworks display and avoiding death by teenagers’ rocket launches, we decided to spend last Saturday in rainy Glasgow. We visited GoMA, Glasgow’s fantastic Gallery of Modern Art, where we fell head over heals in love with David Shrigley’s work; we pumped up on coffee and spent hours buying out Primark, possibly the greatest store in existence; and, after a quick nacholicious dinner, said hello to Rabbie Burns and Sir Walter Scott in George Square before hopping back on the train to Edinburgh. Primark may have cost me an arm and a leg, but the king-sized comforter taking over my single bed is possibly my life’s greatest decision.

Steph and I with Rabbie and Sir Walter

3. I got my first marks back, and it has been great success. Just the push I’ve needed to keep on keeping on here in graduate school. I love this degree programme, and if I can keep getting these kinds of marks, I will be in top shape for PhD apps. Wee!!!

Deutschland!

2. I’m going to Berlin! Oliver and I purchased tickets for a six day Deutschland adventure! We’ll be there the third week in December – anyone want to join? We’re going to take the place by storm! I’m sooo excited. Does any Smithie know: ist H. Westerdale im Deutschland dieses Semester???

1. My love and former flatmate, Jo, came to visit me two days ago!!! We lived across the hall in New Hall when I was studying abroad at St Andrews. And we hadn’t seen each other since I’d returned stateside three years ago. She has Reading Week now and so decided to come up from her home in Glasgow and save me from a day trapped in the library by spending all of Wednesday with me! And she could not have picked a more beautiful day! After a Tuesday of sideways-falling hail from a half-clear sky, there was not a cloud in the sky all Wednesday. Cold, but clear. And I, the American, played Edinburgh tour guide to a Glaswegian. We had coffee at my favourite cafe and enjoyed dinner and some vino at my pub. Haha – it was great fun. Oh and I also passed by some All Blacks touring the Royal Mile…Scotland-New Zealand Rugby game tomorrow!!! I can’t wait! Love you, Jo! So glad you visited!!!

Jo, my love, I'm so glad you visited!